LEWISTON, Idaho – (Box Score) They had to wait an extra three hours to make their fifth appearance at the Avista-NAIA World Series, but No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan made up for lost time with nine extra base hits, including four home runs in a 14-4 defeat of No. 7 Sterling (Kan.) on Saturday evening. The 60th annual event is being played out for the 17th-straight season – 25th time overall – at Harris Field.

Wardy Polanco led the Bulldogs with five RBI and three runs scored, going 2-for-3 with a 3-run home run to kick start the first of two six run innings in the third. In total, Tennessee Wesleyan had seven hitters tally multiple hits while five pitchers combined to limit the Warriors to just four runs, one earned, in the nine inning contest.

The victory keeps the Bulldogs in the winners bracket where they’ll face third-seeded Bellevue (Neb.) on Monday, May 30 at 3 p.m. Sterling falls to the loser’s bracket where they meet ninth-seeded The Master’s (Calif.) at 9 a.m. on Monday.

The Bulldogs entered the World Series with a tournament-best 2.36 ERA and continued to pitch well, but the offense stole the show.

Tennessee Wesleyan broke the game wide open in the third, scoring three runs on six hits, including the tournament’s second home run by Polanco, a three-run shot to center. An error and a single plated another tally and Chevis Hoover delivered the second home run of the inning, a two-run moonshot to left field to cap the inning.

Sterling threatened in the third, loading the bases with one out, but only came away with a pair of runs. The Bulldogs added a run on a sac fly in the fourth and another six run tally in the fifth all but sealed the win. Alfred Cruz and Omar Gomez bookended the frame with two-run home runs with the latter also tallying a game-high three hits, driving in four and scoring three times.

The Warriors added two runs in the sixth, but the Bulldogs got another in the seventh for the 10 run margin.

Bulldogs starter Ryan Hartman improved to 10-0 with five innings of four-run ball allowing two runs, one earned with six strikeouts while his counterpart, Kade Wager, fell to 11-3 on the season.

Three different Warriors registered multi-hit games led by Nicholas Domitrovich who finished 2-for-3 with one RBI.

The victory sends Tennessee Wesleyan to 49-13 on the season while Sterling drops to 51-15 on the year.

Stretch Internet, the NAIA’s official video streaming company, is broadcasting the first 15 games of the 2016 Avista-NAIA World Series. An All-World Series package can be purchased for $29.95, while a day pass is available for $9.95. For more information, visit www.NAIANetwork.com.

The Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series is a 10-team, double-elimination event hosted by Lewis-Clark State (Idaho). For more information on the 60th annual event, click HERE.